Heinrich Taegtmeyer, M.D., D.Phil.

1968, University of Freiburg
1981, University of Oxford

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Medical School
Department of Cardiology

Contact Information

Biographical Sketch

Research Interests:

We examine the dynamics of energy transfer and of alterations in work load on gene expression of the heart. At the molecular level, we study mechanisms by which metabolically generated signals regulate signaling pathways of cardiac protein turnover, including the induction of cardiac specific genes. To accomplish this goal, we make use of a variety of models, including the hypertrophied and atrophied heart in vivo, isolated working hearts, and isolated heart muscle cells in culture. At the clinical level we study molecular mechanisms of heart failure and the effects of diabetes and obesity on the heart. Here we make use of an extensive clinical data base and heart muscle samples generated in the course of implantation of left ventricular assist devices and at transplantation of failing human hearts. In separate studies we examine the cardiovascular consequences of severe obesity in patients and in rodent models.

A tutorial in my laboratory includes an introduction to a variety of techniques, including small animal surgery, breeding of genetically engineered animals, perfusion techniques of the heart, isolation of neonatal and adult cardiac myocytes, tracer methods to study metabolic fluxes, measurements of metabolites, hormones and enzyme activities, as well as an assessment of metabolic activities, quantitative RT-PCR, immunoblotting, immunoprecipitation, and electrophoretic mobility shift assays. There are weekly lab seminars and lab meetings.

Selected Publications:

Wilson CR, Tran MK, Salazar KL, Young ME, Taegtmeyer H. Western diet causes derangements of fatty acid metabolism and contractile dysfunction in the heart of Wistar rats. Biochem J. 2007; 406:457-67 .

Sharma S, Guthrie P, Chan S, Haq S, Taegtmeyer H. Glucose phosphorylation is required for insulin-dependent mTOR signaling in the heart. Cardiovasc Res2007; 76:71-80.

Razeghi P, Baskin KK, Sharma S, Young ME, Stepkowski S, Essop M, Taegtmeyer H (2006) Atrophy, hypertrophy and hypoxemia induce transcriptional regulators of the ubiquitin proteasome system in the rat heart. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 342:361-364.

Sharma S, Dewald O, Adrogue J, Razeghi P, Salazar RL, Crapo JD, Bowler RP, Entman ML, Taegtmeyer H (2006) Induction of antioxidant gene expression in a mouse model of ischemic cardiomyopathy is dependent on reactive oxygen species. Free Radic Biol Med. 40:2223-2231.


Additional Publications

Program Affiliations:

Program in Cell and Regulatory Biology (Physiology Track)

Program in Molecular Pathology

Vascular Biology